Authenticity, Identity, and Being Yourself at Work (HBR Work Smart Series)

9 Do You Ever Second-Guess Yourself?

by Tucci Ivowi

Once I was in a large auditorium filled with marketing and sales professionals who were gathered to attend a training program on the fundamentals of the coffee business. I was a brand manager in a company I had just joined. During the training, someone asked, “What’s the difference between soluble coffee and roast and ground coffee?”

It was a simple question. I knew the answer. But I still refrained from raising my hand. What if it was a trick? What if I was wrong? What if I wound up looking foolish?

It was my first day on the job as a new recruit. It’s probably best for someone with more experience to respond, I thought to myself. I didn’t say anything and someone else used the opportunity ...